Ultrastructural changes of the testicular tissues of immature and mature mice under the effect of lithium carbonate

ABSTRACT

Lithium carbonate [one of the antipsychotic drugs] was a mainstay and long term maintenance treatment in manic depressive disorders, the broad use of this element in treating mood and behavioral disorders had led to the realization of the fact that prolonged treatment with this alkali metal may lead to a wide rang of adverse effects. In the present study, the question of the toxicity of the antipsychotic drug [Lithium carbonate] was tested by direct injection of the drug to mature mice and indirect injection of the drug to immature mice as the pregnant mother received the injection from the 10th days of the pregnancy till the end of lactating period. Both the pregnant mothers and adult male mice received [23.25 mg/ mouse - a cumulated dose throughout 31 days], the drug was injected intraperitoneally. The adult male and the weaning male for the pregnant female were scarified by decapitation and the testis were taken after intracardiac perfusion by gluteraldhyde to insure the success of fixation for the electron microscopic study. The results explained the ultrastructural changes which involved the irregularity of the basal lamina, vacuolation of the lining epithelium, degeneration of spermatocytes. Dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum and multivescular bodies were recorded in Sertoli cells. Altered rough endoplasmic reticulum, shedding of ribosome, hypertrophied Golgi apparatus, destruction of mitochondrial cristae and fewer amounts of lipid droplets were observed in Leydig cells. Mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic reticulum were sensitive indicators to the slightest pathological changes induced by drug administration which might lead to dysfunction. The results of this study strongly indicated that Camcolit [Lithium carbonate] induced profound ultra structural changes nearly similar in the adult and weaning mice and the fine morphological abnormalities induced by lithium carbonate cannot be isolated from testicular functional abnormalities, in terms of, cellular differentiation and spermnation abnormalities